FOXBORO - Will everything be "Albright" on the backline for the New England Revolution this season?

"We've done well with it, we're not going to start changing," related Revolution head coach Steve Nicol of his three-man defensive backline, one that has worked well, so much so that New England has visited the MLS Championship Cup for three consecutive seasons.

The addition of former U.S. National and Olympic Team defender Chris Albright from the Los Angeles Galaxy won't be changing the scheme of the Revolution, only the roles.

Michael Parkhurst, the 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year, enters his fourth season as the central defender.

Jay Heaps, entering his 10th MLS season, his eighth with New England, moves from the right flank to the left flank replacing the departed (MLS expansion draft) James Riley and (free agent) Avery John.

And moving onto the right flank is the 29-year-old Albright, entering his 10th MLS season (172 career matches). "Any time that you bring in a veteran who has a lot of athleticism it will help," said Parkhurst of Albright, who is 6-1, 180 pounds with size, speed and skill.

"Going forward, that's one of his strengths," said Heaps of Albright's ability to push up through the midfield and into the attack. To that end, Heaps instead of straying forward as he was wont to do in the past, will now become more of a stay-at-home-defender.

"It's not like we're breaking in a ton of new people," said Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis of his trio of penalty box area protectors. "We have a lot of the same guys and I think that we know what we're doing."

The first steps will be taken this evening (7:30 at Gillette Stadium) in Foxboro, where the Revolution will kick off the 2008 MLS season against defending champion Houston - the first time in New England's 13-season history that it will do so on home soil.

New England allowed 43 goals through 30 matches last season (scoring just seven more than foes). Reis posted 10 shutouts and limited six other foes to a single goal.

Nicol is tickled to be replacing Riley with Albright, although the former Galaxy missed all but five matches last season while suffering a torn right hamstring muscle, undergoing season-ending surgery in May. Prior to that, Albright had started 91 of 96 matches over the previous four seasons.

"He's very smooth," claimed Nicol of the Philadelphia native who played collegiately at Virginia. "He knows the game, he can play the game. There's no real transition for him, he fit right in. It makes us a lot better."

Parkhurst, Heaps and Reis all expressed their pleasure with the acquisition of Albright (in exchange for allocation money) two months ago.

"He's physically strong, he has a lot of poise and plays with a lot of pace, he's great going forward," said Parkhurst of Albright's transitional skills. "In the three-back system, he seems comfortable," said Heaps of Albright, who played in a four-back system in Los Angeles. "That's what he's used to playing, but the bottom line is that playing 3 or 4, you have to be smart.

"Going forward is one of his strengths, we want to add him to the attack (11 goals, 20 assists in his MLS career). I'm going to have to stay back and defend more."

While it's nice - and sometimes a necessity - to develop young defenders, having starters with such extensive MLS experience is a luxury that Reis knows is a definite advantage.

"He's a great player and he brings a lot of experience," said Reis of Albright. "He brings something going forward, his ability to cross the ball.

"Any time that you bring in someone with National Team experience, not just Chris, but quite a few of the other new guys, can only help."

- MF will be with Bermuda for the World Cup qualifying match against the Cayman Islands... Coach will likely use Honduran international or 19-year-old . "I know he (Castro)has played there for the national team. When I saw him, he played wide and he did a good job out there. He has two good feet and that makes him flexible as to where he can play. Sainey is an option but he's only 19 and he's got a bit of learning to do," Nicol said. "His forte is running at people and going at defenders."... New England is 2-7-3 in season debuts, 1-2-2 under Nicol... New England won (1-0 in Houston) and tied (3-3 in Foxboro) regular season matches against the Dynamo in 200 ... (hamstring) and (bone spur) are out of service... MF returned from a Grenada National Team match against the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday... New England will be unveiling a new number of faces, No. 16, No. 22 D , a 2008 No. 1 draft pick last season, No. 29 MF-F , No. 11 F and possibly 20-year-old Costa Rican F , signed two weeks ago, awaiting his visa... The Revolution play four of its first six matches away from Foxboro, not returning to Gillette until an April 12 match against Colorado Rapids... Houston will be without sitting out the final two matches of an MLS-imposed nine-game suspension dealt out last year... New England inked 25-year-old former Colorado Rapid defender a native of Chile.